Tracing Out Shapes
by Rainnboots
Summary: "Take a lot of girls out for late night boating excursions?" "Nope," said James, turning around to look at her, "just one."


**Author's Note: **Hello again! Time for a oneshot. Coming in at second for longest oneshot I've ever done is this baby, standing tall at 7,743 words. Got the ideas for this story from the songs "If Only I" and "My Girl Tonight" by Jon McLaughlin. This story's set post-BTR, when James would be about 23-24. It contains my first-ever girl OC, Natalie. I hope you guys like her! For **Koala75**, because it's from her that Natalie got her name. You guys enjoy the story, and as always, **_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

**Disclaimer: **Any recognizable names and/or places are the property of their respective owners.

**Warnings: **Light swearing, mentions of death.

* * *

><p>He let out a breath, maneuvering himself in the chair and setting his ankle on the opposite knee, setting his chin on his fist. With his free hand he tilted his to-go cup of coffee on its edge, swirling it in a circle, feeling his knee begin to bounce up and down in nervous anticipation.<p>

_Come on, she's twenty feet away. Just go up and say hi. You're James Diamond. You have The Face. No woman can resist the face,_ he thought.

_But she's not just any woman,_ he reminded himself.

He could hear the small voice begin to counter, but James shook his head, clearing his mind of its onesided argument, and set his cup back down. He ran his palms down his jeans, clearing them of any possible sweat, then flicked his bangs off his forehead.

_Turn on the old Diamond Family charm and say hi_, James thought._ Don't be a wuss, you'll do fine._

James nodded, as if to reassure himself, then picked up his cup of coffee and strode across the café.

"Hi," he said, lips stretching into a smile.

She turned around, a piece of hair falling from her bun, a stack of dirty plates in her hand. She nodded. "Hi."

"You need help with those? They look a little heavy," said James, motioning to the half-full bus tub in her hands.

"Part of my job," she said. "I've carried more before."

"So," said James, setting his coffee down on a table, leaning back against it. "How long've you worked here?"

"Almost a year, I think?" she said, moving the bus tub to the next table.

"You like it?" James asked.

She shrugged. "Nice pay, flexible hours. Why, are you looking for a job?"

"No, just wondering," said James.

"So, is there something I can help you with?" she asked.

"Yes, actually," said James. He cleared his throat. "Are you free tonight?"

She paused, looking up from the table she was cleaning. She blinked. "What?"

"Are you free?" James repeated. "Tonight? To go out?"

She shook her head slowly, scrunching her eyebrows togehter. "I don't... know you."

"I'm James, you're Natalie," he said, looking to her nametag. "Now we're acquainted! So are you free?"

"Listen, James," Natalie scooted the bus tub to the edge of the table, "I think—_Whoa!_"

The bus tub began to slide off the edge of the table but James reached out, grabbing the side and steadying it back on the table. She let out a breath, relieved.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"No problem," he said, smiling gently. Natalie reached to haul the tub to the next table while James spoke. "Now as I was saying before—"

"Look," she said, slamming the bus tub down on the table. The plates inside rattled, clashing against each other. "I've had a really long day, and the last thing I want is for some _guy_ to come around thinking he can hit on me just because he drives some fancy black BMW—"

"You know what kind of car I drive?" said James, raising his eyebrows. Natalie ducked her head, feeling herself blush.

"You're here a lot," she defended. "Maybe I've noticed what you always drive up in."

"How about I take you out in it tonight?" he asked. "We could get some coffee."

"I work in a café," she said, "I don't need to see anymore coffee."

"How about a movie?" James suggested.

"Seen a lot of those, too."

"There's probably a concert somewhere tonight."

"Not a fan of mosh pits, thanks."

"Then what _do_ you like?" James asked, growing slightly exasperated.

"I like the planetarium," she said simply, heaving the bus tub off the table and holding it in front of her hips.

James paused for a moment. "The planetarium?"

"You know, the place where they have all the stars?"

"I know a planetarium is," he said pointedly, "I just... didn't realize people went there outside of fourth grade field trips or lame family vacations."

Natalie shook her head. "Well, there, now you know what I like to do. Bye then."

She turned, moving to the kitchen, when he stopped her.

"Wait!" James called.

Natalie let out a breath, shutting her eyes for a moment, then turned on her heel. "Yes?"

"I really would like to take you out," said James. "Even if you do want to go to the _planetarium_."

"My shift doesn't end until seven," she said. James shrugged.

"I'll pick you up at eight; we can go out for dinner, too," he said.

"The planetarium closes at eight forty-five; we wouldn't have time to stop for dinner."

"I'll drive fast," James shrugged. "My fancy black BMW is pretty speedy, you know."

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, taking in a breath. "Fine."

James smiled. "Where should I pick you up?"

She looked around for a moment, then at the bus tub in her hands.

"Hold on a second," she said, turning and pushing through the kitchen door. James rocked on his heels, sticking his hands in his pockets as she waited. She emerged a few moments later, scribbling on a small notepad.

"That's my building," she said. "And my number, in case you get lost. Just call or text when you're outside."

"Okay then," he said, folding the paper and shoving it into his pocket. He smiled. "See you at eight, then."

Natalie pulled her lips up slightly as he walked away, wondering for a moment whether or not she was making a mistake.

* * *

><p>Natalie locked her door, pressing once against it to make sure they all latched, then tucked her keys into her messenger bag and trotted down the stairs to the lobby. She pushed through the front door just as a car pulled up to the curb. The window rolled down and the lights inside came on, James lifting his hand in a small wave.<p>

"Hello again," he smiled as she slipped into the passenger seat. "You clean up nice."

Natalie adjusted the old deep blue top she was wearing. "Well thanks. You look nice, too."

"Thank you," said James, putting the car back in drive. "You ready to go?"

Natalie nodded. "Do you know how to get there?"

"Yep."

"Good," said Natalie. "Let me know if you get lost."

"I won't."

Natalie rolled her eyes lightly, tapping her fingers against the armrest on the door.

"Well," she said, running her hands over the leather console. "Your car's... fancy."

"If you think this is fancy you should see my dad's car," said James. "Ferrari tricked out like you wouldn't believe. Custom seats, specially made rims, he even had special lights put on the dash. He practically built the thing."

"So are you parents... well-off, if you don't mind me asking?" asked Natalie.

"My dad and his parents are in oil and gas, so there's tons of money on that side," said James. "And you know Brooke Diamond?"

"'The burning means it's working!'" Natalie imitated. "Her?"

"That's my mom."

"For real?"

James nodded. "So, you know, lots of money on that side, too. What about your parents?"

"My dad worked in construction my whole life, and my mom ran a bakery out of kitchen while raising me and my three brothers," said Natalie. "This bridge we're on right now? My dad built it."

"Did he really?"

Natalie nodded proudly. "Well, I mean, he helped build it. Him and a big team. I helped pour the concrete foundation for one of the support columns."

"Aren't you so cool?" said James. "Did you help build other things?"

Natalie shrugged. "Some little stuff, like private properties or small renovations. I couldn't go often, because of school, and because it's dangerous, but I liked helping my dad out when I could. It'd always be small stuff, like carrying blue prints from one end of the building to the other or pushing around the water cart for the other guys — pouring the foundation was the highest up I ever got in the ranks of construction work."

"You and your dad are close?" said James.

"Were," said Natalie. "He passed away a few years ago, from lung cancer."

"Oh God, I'm sorry," said James, looking over at Natalie for a moment.

Natalie shook her head. "Like I said, it was a while ago. I've moved on, I guess, as much as you can. Still miss him sometimes, but it's not too bad anymore."

"So you said you had three brothers," said James. "Older or younger?"

"One's thirty-one, the second's twenty-seven, I'm twenty-four, and the youngest is twenty-four also."

"You have a twin?" said James.

"No, he's seven months younger than me; likes to think he's older, though," said Natalie. James furrowed his brow in confusion, opening his mouth to speak when Natalie continued. "We adopted him when he was three and a half."

"Ah," said James, nodding. "Now I get it."

"What about you?" asked Natalie. "Any siblings to speak of?"

"Two older sisters," said James.

"That must've been fun," said Natalie.

"Oh, you have _no idea_," said James, shaking his head. "To put it nicely, my sisters have very strong personalities, and like to have things a very certain way, everyday, all the time."

Natalie laughed, shaking her head. "I complained a lot when I was little about never having a sister to talk to about stuff, but I'm really, really glad I had three brothers."

"Count your blessings," said James. "Growing up with two older sisters was not a fun experience for me."

Natalie laughed, fixing her eyes out the window. She furrowed her eyebrows as they drove right on past the highway exit.

"You missed the exit," she pointed out.

"No I didn't," James said simply.

"Yes you did," she said. "You have to take exit twenty-three to get to the planetarium."

"We're not going to the planetarium," said James.

Natalie raised an eyebrow. "Should I've told somebody I was going out?"

James snorted. "Don't worry, I'm not kidnapping you. We're just going to the real stars."

"You can't see reals stars anywhere else in Duluth, James," she said. "It's too bright."

James looked over at Natalie.

"Who says we're staying in Duluth?"

* * *

><p>After over an hour of driving James finally slowed the car down a residental street, pulling up into a driveway. The house itself was large, white, and majestic, seated on a large lot right on a lake.<p>

"Are we on... Lake Superior?" asked Natalie, pushing open her car door.

"Yep," said James. "Part of it, anyways."

"Is this your _house?_" she asked increduously.

"My grandparents'," said James, unlocking the side door and leading Natalie inside. "It's their _lake house_ house, anyway."

"They won't mind that we're here?" she asked, running her hand along the smooth counters in the kitchen.

"They can't mind if they don't know," said James. Natalie whipped around, opening her mouth to protest, when James waved his hand. "We're not staying inside, we just have to go in through the house to get to the dock out back."

"What're we doing on the dock?"

James walked past her, examing a few keys on a rack by the fridge, then pulled off the ring in the middle. "You'll see."

* * *

><p>"A boat?" said Natalie, arms crossed over her chest, watching from the edge of the boathouse platform as James began untying the ropes keeping the boat still. "Do you even know how to drive it?"<p>

"I've taken this thing out a hundred times," said James, storing the ropes under a seat cushion.

"That doesn't answer my question."

James turned his head to her for a moment, eyebrow raised, then shook his head in an exasperated manner.

"Your grandparents don't mind you taking their boat?" Natalie continued.

"Like I said before: They can't mind if they don't know." James held his hand out, wiggling his fingers slightly, beckoning her aboard. She sighed, taking his hand, then made the small jump off the dock. James pressed the keys into the ignition and started the boat, idling them out of the dock, picking up speed once they reached open water.

"Won't we get in trouble for being out this late? Isn't there a lake curfew?" asked Natalie.

"We're on a private part of the lake, the boat patrol rarely ever come out here," said James.

"You mean the _cops?_"

James shrugged. "Boat patrol, cops, same difference."

Natalie rolled her eyes, squinting her eyes as the wind whipped past.

"Where're we going?" Natalie asked.

"Just going out far enough from the houses."

"Far enough from the houses? What does that mean?" she asked. "I'm really beginning to think I should've told someone I was going out."

"Relax," said James, "I just want to be out far enough."

"Far enough for what?"

Once again, James repeated, "you'll see."

Natalie set her chin on her fist, picking a small pill off her sweater. "This better be good."

"Oh don't worry," said James, looking over at her to smile. "It will be."

James steered them out another dozen miles before he finally slowed the boat to a stop, turning off the ignition. He pulled open the seat cushion beside Natalie and rummaged around in the storage below, pulling out a large blanket and walking to the bow of the boat. He climbed over the dashboard, reaching the very front, and spread out the blanket on the flat surface. He moved back, holding his hand out to Natalie.

"Come on," he said, wiggling his fingers again.

"There's no guard rails up there," she said.

"So?" said James.

"What if I fall off the side?" asked Natalie.

"Then I'll point at you and laugh," said James, rolling his eyes. "I'll jump in and save you, Natalie, now come on. You won't fall, I promise."

Natalie sighed, pushing herself up and tenatively taking James hand. He steadied her as she climbed up the front, helping her down to the blanket.

"Lay down," he said, moving back towards the steering wheel. "_Don't fall in._"

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Turning the lights off," he said.

"Isn't that illegal?"

"Natalie," said James, flicking a few switches, the bright boat lights dying out. "You worry _way_ too much. You haven't even been paying attention to the stars."

"I'm just—"

Natalie blinked, eyes going to the sky, finally taking notice of the bright blanket of light above her. Her breath caught slightly, heart skipping a beat. There was no moon, nothing to take away from the glory of all the constellations. If she squinted, she could even make out the Milky Way.

"Oh, my God," she breathed, feeling the blanket shift as James laid out beside her. "This is _amazing_."

"Still think I missed the exit?" said James. Natalie scoffed.

"Don't sound so satisified," said Natalie. "I'm still not completely convinced you're not planning on shoving me off the side and leaving me here to drown."

James grabbed her arm, jerking her forward to the side and then suddenly back, earning a loud scream from Natalie.

"That was _not_ funny!" she said, aiming a few hard hits at James' arm, stomach, and hips.

"It was a little funny," said James, laughing, easily pushing her hands away. She got in one last solid hit to his chest.

"So not funny," she mumbled, crossing her arms and shaking her head.

"Just a little joke, Nat, lighten up," said James.

"Did you just call me Nat?" asked Natalie.

"Yeah," said James. "Why, you don't like being called Nat?"

"I didn't say that."

"'Cause I can call you Natalie, if you want."

"No, it's just... no one's called me that in a while," she said. "Kinda weird hearing it again."

James let out a breath, turning his attention back upwards as Natalie uncrossed her arms.

"So, Ms. Galaxy, what do you know about the constellations?"

"It's not a constellation, but if you squint a little, you can see the Milky Way, running across the sky," she said, running a finger through the night, tracing out a road through the stars. "It's referred to as 'the road of the gods.' Greek mythology says that it's the road the gods travelled on to reach the palace of Zeus."

"Zeus had a palace?" asked James.

"He's Father of the Gods, ruler of the sky and thunder," said Natalie. "Of course he has a palace."

"You see that right up there?" said Natalie, tracing a shape in the sky just above their shoulders. James tilted his head closer to hers, their hair sliding against each other, and nodded. "That's Orion, the hunter. Next to him are Canis Major and Canis Minor," she explained, tracing out two more shapes. "They're his hunting dogs. They hunt the celestial animals, like Taurus the bull and Lepus the rabbit."

"They're stars," said James. Natalie ignored him.

"Orion — the real guy, not the constellation — died when he stepped on a scorpion," said Natalie, tracing another shape, this time further down the horizon, across the sky, "better known by Scorpius. The gods put Scorpius on the other side of the sky so he could never hurt Orion again."

"They're _stars,_" James repeated.

"There's Perseus, God of the Sea," said Natalie. "And Lupus, the Wolf. Down over there is Herecules, and then Leo, the Great Lion he defeated. There's Hydra — Hercules defeated that, too, along with Cancer, the Crab. Over there's Castor and Pollux, the Gemini Twins. Umm..." Natalie's hand faltered, her eyebrows scrunching up. "That's all I can see right now. I'll have to think about the other ones."

"What about planets?" James asked. "Can you see any?"

"Yep," Natalie nodded and pointed off in the sky to their left. "Over there is Venus; she's the easiest to see most nights."

"Venus is a girl planet?"

"Venus is the goddess of love."

"Are all the planets girls?"

"Mars was named after the god of war."

"And where is he?"

"Right above us," she said. She motioned off to a spot in the sky higher up above them. "Up there's Jupitur. Down there is... Saturn? No, that's Mercury. Over _there_ is Saturn."

Natalie shivered once as a breeze swept over them.

"Cold?" James asked.

"A little," she admitted.

"Ready to go back in?"

"In a minute."

James smiled, setting one arm down between them, feeling the chilly skin on the back of her hand. Another breeze came and Natalie shivered from the bottom up, letting out an audible squeak.

"Okay, time to go in," she said.

James pushed himself up then held out his hand, keeping Natalie balanced and helping her back over into the boat's main cabin. He grabbed the blanket off the bow and then started the engine, turning the boat back around.

"Here's the blanket, in case you want to wrap yourself up for the ride home," said James, holding it out to her.

"You want one?" Natalie asked, pulling out the blanket over her shoulders.

"I'm fine, thanks," said James as the boat picked up speed.

"What, Mr. Macho man doesn't need a blanket?" Natalie teased.

"I'm used to the cold," James shrugged.

"Take a lot of girls out for late night boating excursions?"

"Nope," said James, turning around to look at her, "just one."

* * *

><p>"Do you need help tying those?" Natalie asked, folding the blanket and placing it back into the storage compartment.<p>

"I got it," said James, pulling a knot taut around the metal post. "You can start heading back inside to warm up, I'm almost done, anyways."

"I can wait," she said, stepping from the edge of the boat to the deck of the boathouse. She walked to the open edge of the deck, crossing her arms and staring up at the stars.

"Okay, that's the last one," said James, pulling on the rope to make sure it would stay looped. "We can—"

James was cut off by a scream and a loud splash.

"Nat!" James lept onto the deck and ran to the edge, dropping to his knees and peering into the water. Natalie's head popped out of the water, her hair matted down on her face, her breath sharp and ragged. She looked arond the water, somewhat discombobulated by the fall, trying to regain her bearings.

"Natalie, are you okay?" James asked. "Nat, can you swim?"

Natalie nodded shakily, sweeping her arms out beside her, keeping above water.

"Nat, you can use the ladder to get back up," said James, putting his hand on the metal pole beside him. "Can you see it?"

Again, Natalie nodded, reaching out a trembling hand to grab onto the ladder. She pulled herself up, grabbing James' hand as she reached the top, and let him pull her up.

"What happened?" James asked, gently touching her chin, turning her head, as if inspecting for injuries. "Did you hit the ladder?"

Natalie shook her head. She pushed her hair angrily from her face, looking accusingly at James. "Y-Y-You!"

James raised his eyebrows. "What'd I do?"

"Y-You told me I wasn't going to f-f-fall in!" she said, gripping her arms tightly, shivering violently.

"I was talking about on the boat!" said James. "I didn't think you'd just topple right off the edge of the dock!"

"I _tripped, _okay?" Natalie snapped.

"How does someone trip while standing still?" asked James, barely stifling his laughter. Natalie let out a quiet, frustrated shriek, trekking back up to the house.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" said James, chasing up the dock after her. "I shouldn't've laughed, I'm sorry. I'll get you some new clothes when we get inside, okay?"

"You grandparents won't m-m-mind if I steal their clothes-s-s, t-t-too?" Natalie stuttered, her teeth clacking against each other. "Oh r-right: They can't m-mind if they d-d-don't know."

James let out a small smile. "You can wear some of mine. Do you want my jacket?"

"Just get some new clothes," Natalie muttered, pushing past him and making the small walk back to the house.

"There's a bedroom right there," said James once they were inside, pointing to a door just off the kitchen. "Go in there and I'll get you some clothes.

Natalie, dripping wet and shivering, shuffled into the bathroom and began to peel off her wet clothes. She'd just finished pulling off and wringing out her socks when James knocked on the door. She pulled it open, seeing him standing with a small pile of clothes in his hand.

"Here's something to change into; towels are right in there," said James, pointing to a tall stack of cabinets on the wall, "and there's soap and shampoo if you want to shower. If you bring your wet clothes out, I can run 'em through the dryer for you."

"Great." Natalie yanked the clothes from James' hand, slamming the door behind her.

James swallowed, blowing his bangs from his face. "I'll be out here, then, if you need anything."

His only response was the showerhead sputtering on.

* * *

><p>"Hey," said James, looking up from the counter as Natalie entered the kitchen, a bundle of wet clothes in her hand. One of James' long-sleeved shirts hung loose off her shoulders, a pair of his sweatpants bunched up at her ankles.<p>

"Hey," she smiled sheepishly at him. "Uh, where should I put the clothes?"

"I'll take 'em," said James, holding out his hands. He nodded towards the counter. "Made you some hot chocolate; I was going to make coffee, but you said you already see enough of that at the café."

"I love hot chocolate."

"Great," said James, holding a mug out to her. She grabbed the handle, wrapping her fingers around the warm, painted ceramic, and took a long sip as James took her clothes to the laundry room.

"You want to sit?" James asked, rounding back into the kitchen and picking up a mug.

"Sure," Natalie shrugged, following James as he led them to the living room. He sat on one end of the pristinely white couch and she sat on the other, gazing out the sliding glass doors. Beside them, a fire crackled in the fireplace.

"Smells good," said Natalie.

"What does?"

"The fire," she said, nodding towards it.

"You can smell it?" James asked. Natalie shrugged.

"Sharp nose," she said. "When I was little, my dad used to call me Super Sniffer, 'cause I could smell everything."

"Super Sniffer?" said James, and Natalie nodded, placing a hand over her eyes.

"Oh God, it's so embarrassing," she moaned.

"No, it's funny!" said James.

"Well that makes it better," said Natalie.

"Any other childhood nicknames?" James asked.

"None that I'm willing to repeat. How about you?"

"Well, I do have 'The Face.'"

"The what?"

"James Diamond's money maker." James wiggled his fingers in front of his face, jiggling his head slightly. "'The Face.'"

"Well that's not bad," she said, "It's not even embarrassing! My whole life is one giant Embarrassing Moment."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Did you or did you not just witness me trip off a deck into frigid waters while standing completey still?"

James laughed, setting his mug down on the coffee table, pushing up his sleeves.

"What about you, Romeo? Has _anything_ embarrassing _ever_ happened to you?" asked Natalie.

"Once, when I was high school, I used to much 'Cuda Man Spray and had a terrible allergic reaction; I swelled up like a balloon."

Natalie covered her mouth as a laugh escaped.

"It's true!" said James. "My hands, my lips, my eyes, my face... I thought I'd never be pretty again."

Natalie shook her head, pushing her damp hair back off her face. "When I was little, I think from age two to five, I slept with macaroni and cheese boxes."

"You _what?_"

"I even made them buy the cool shaped macaroni — you know the spiral noodles? — and every night before I went to bed, I'd have to have at least one box of macaroni and cheese in bed with me."

James slapped his knee, laughing. "Why?"

"I don't know, I don't know, I was just a freak child or something," said Natalie, shaking her head.

James took a drink from his mug. "Well, you know my mom's Brooke Diamond."

"Mm-hmm," Natalie nodded.

"Until I moved out of the house, my mom would use me to try out all the new products."

"Even the makeup?" said Natalie.

"Even the makeup," James nodded. "Said I had the right complexion for almost every shade of everything. She'd take little Polaroid pictures, too, just so she could remember what the stuff looked like on."

"Oh, my God," said Natalie, eyes wide, hand at her mouth. "Can I see these pictures, please?"

"Burned 'em all," said James. "Snuck into her closet one night when she was on a business trip and went to town with a trash can and a box of matches, flushed all the ashes down the drain. I was grounded for a month for snooping through her stuff, but I didn't care one bit."

"Why would she do that to you? What about your sisters?"

"The makeup made them break out or something," said James.

"Well why didn't you just say you didn't want to try on makeup?"

"Of course I did!" said James. "Dad did, too, but Dad's a pushover, and you don't tell my mom no."

"Your poor child," Natalie cooed sarcastically.

"At least I didn't sleep with boxes of macaroni and cheese," he retorted.

"I was a _kid!_" said Natalie, throwing her free hand up into the air.

"Still doesn't excuse the fact," said James, shaking his head.

"Well excuse me for being an eccentric child," said Natalie.

"Eccentric isn't quite the word I was going to use," said James. Natalie picked up the throw pillow beside her, tossing it at James and whacking him in the head.

"I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding," said James, pushing his hair back into place. Natalie shook her head, taking another drink.

"So where'd you learn all that stuff about the stars?" asked James.

"When I was a kid, I was always fascinated by the night sky. I thought it was so cool to be able trace out these shapes in the stars, and to know their stories; who they were, what they did, how they got up there. I drove my parents nuts always asking to go to the planetarium, or to buy me more books on Greek mythology or constellations, I took it in that stuff like a sponge. One year, for my birthday, my parents bought me a telescope — one of those really nice brass ones — and I stayed up the entire night looking at the sky. Best birthday present they ever gave me."

"I think the best birthday present I ever got was my first hockey stick," said James.

"You play hockey?"

"Well, I did," said James. "When I was younger. Pretty much stopped after high school."

"All three of my brothers played hockey when we were younger," said Natalie. "Never really got into it, though."

"Hmm," James nodded, looking off through the glass doors.

Natalie let out a breath. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot," said James, setting his mug down.

"Why'd you ask me out earlier?" asked Natalie. "Honestly."

James smiled almost embarrassingly, scratching the back of his neck. "Honestly? I've been wanting to ask you out for months. I come in to the shop as often as I do, watching you work, trying to get up the courage to actually talk to you."

"Why?" Natalie asked, her tone one of slight disbelief.

"Why? I thought you were beautiful, and you were always smiling, really nice to the customers... I don't know, I just felt, _drawn_ to you or something. Does that sound weird? You interested me, a lot."

Natalie scoffed, shaking her head. "Please; I work at a café. My dad was a Jersey-born construction worker and my mom's a homemaker from the south. I lived in the same place in the same house my whole life. There's nothing interesting about me."

"You should really stop beating yourself down like that," said James, "reducing your existence to a few short sentences. Your life is so much more than where you came from or what you do. You're probably the most fascinating person I've ever met, Natalie."

Natalie blushed, looking down into her cup for a moment.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"For what?" asked James, picking up his cup to take a drink.

"For the way I've acted tonight," she continued. "I've been kind of a jerk. I've been a complete ass to you, actually, and you don't deserve to be treated that way."

James swallowed, shaking his head. "You've nothing to apologize for."

"I'm not usually like this, I promise," Natalie assured him. "I don't know why I've acted like I have. Been a long day, I guess."

"We all have those," James shrugged.

"I know I just — You've been great, really great, and I've been..."

"Equally great," said James.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

"You've been a trooper this whole time! You didn't blow me off when I talking to you at the coffee shop, or freak out that I basically kidnapped you, and you trusted me enough to get on the boat."

"Getting on the boat was definitely going against my better judgement, not gonna lie," said Natalie. James laughed.

"I should apologize for being so shady tonight," he said. "I'm sure it was pretty sketchy being taken to a lake house in the middle of nowhere and then being driven out into the lake in the dark by some guy you just met and _man_, this sounds way worse out loud than it did earlier in my head."

Natalie laughed, choking on the hot chocolate in her throat. She wiped her mouth. "No, chicks dig mysterious guys. We live for the thrill."

"Ah, they do?" said James.

Natalie nodded. "And once I got past the seriel killer aspect of it all, it was nice," she said. "Kinda romantic, almost."

"Really?" said James.

"Aside from falling off the dock, yeah," she said, James chuckling. "I had a good time."

"Me too," he smiled. James reached up, pulling lightly at the collar of his shirt, scratching a spot on his neck.

"You have an angel kiss," said Natalie.

James' hand stopped, his brow furrowing. "A what?"

Natalie smiled bashfully. "Freckles; ever since I was little, I've always called them angel kisses. You have one right there on your neck."

"Where?" James craned his head, pushing his eyes to the side to try and see the small mark. Natalie laughed.

"You can't see something on your neck, goof," she said, setting her cup down. She crawled across the couch to him, gently pushing his hand away, and put her forefinger over the tiny brown dot. "It's right there."

"Hmm," said James, "hadn't noticed it before."

"And you have one right under your chin, too," said Natalie. She brushed her thumb against the top of his ear. "And then here, right at the top of your ear."

"Do you have any — what'd you call 'em? Angel kisses?" asked James.

Natalie nodded. "I have some on my chest, and then my shoulders—" Natalie touched the back of her shoulders, then pulled up her sleeves "—and then I have a bunch here on the backs of my arms."

James reached out, tracing the patterns of the freckles. James flicked his eyes up to Natalie's and he smiled, seeing her eyes fixed on his hand.

"You have one on your lip, too," said James.

"What?" said Natalie, looking up to him.

"There's an angel kiss on your lip," he repeated. James brushed his finger on a spot on her bottom lip. "Right there."

Natalie took in a deep, shuddering breath, feeling a swoop in her stomach. James pulled his hand away, swallowing and licking his lips, shifting his body closer to hers.

From the kitchen, there was a loud, piercing beep.

Natalie jumped, yelping slightly, her heart racing in her chest. "Jesus!"

"That'll be the dryer," said James. "Guess the cycles over."

"Oh," said Natalie, letting out a heavy breath. "Yeah. Good. Dry clothes."

James swallowed, Natalie tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'll go get your stuff, so you can change."

"Right," Natalie nodded, "thanks."

James pushed himself off the couch, grabbing both of their mugs and dumping them in the sink on his way through. Natalie followed him to the counter, rubbing a finger print off the marble as James pulled her clothes out of the dryer.

"Nice and hot," he said, holding them out for her. He pointed to a door off on the right. "You can change in there, then I'll take you home."

"Right," she nodded. "Thanks."

Natalie closed the bedroom door behind her and James made quick work of washing their two cups, drying them, and setting them back in the pantry.

"Where should I put these clothes?" Natalie asked, coming out of the bedroom with a James' long-sleeve and pants.

"You can just drop 'em on the counter," said James. "Ready to go?

Natalie nodded and James held out his arm towards the door in a _go on ahead_ sort of gesture. Natalie smiled, ducking her head slightly, and opened the kitchen door. Natalie took in a sharp breath as a blast of cold air hit them.

"Holy _crap _it got cold!" she exclaimed.

"Snow's coming," said James, rubbing his arms. He looked at Natalie and the thin black jacket on her shoulders. "Here, come back inside for a second."

James pulled her back through the door, shuting it behind them, then rummaged around in a small closet just off the kitchen. He tugged an old sweatshirt off a hanger and held it out to Natalie.

"I'll be fine, we're gonna be in your car," said Natalie.

"I know, but just in case," said James. "Now let's head out, it'll take us at least an hour to get back."

They sprinted out to the car, teeth chattering as they slid inside the freezing car.

"Heat, heat, heat!" Natalie urged, banging lightly on the dash as James started the car. James cranked up the heater and slowly revved the engine, trying to coax the car to warm up faster. Natalie reached down to her bag on the floor, sifting around in the middle pocket.

"Gum?" she asked, holding the small package out to him.

"I'm fine, thanks," said James.

"Suit yourself," she said, then popped a piece into her own mouth.

James took in a deep breath. "Is that cinnamon?"

"My favorite," said Natalie. She pulled the sleeves of James' sweatshirt down over her hands, burrowing her nose into the neck.

James rubbed his hands together as the cabin slowly grew warmer. He looked over at Natalie, seeing her eyes closed, smiling slightly.

"What?" he asked, putting the car in reverse.

"Hmm?" Natalie asked, snapping her eyes back open.

"You were smiling," said James, looking out the rear window as he backed out into the street. He switched to drive, starting to pull down the street.

"Oh, nothing, just... your sweatshirt smells good."

James chuckled, flicking through the radio presets for a moment before stopping on a station. "Glad you think so."

Natalie smiled, turning up the volume, then settled in for the drive home.

* * *

><p>"Natalie, Nat, wake up, we're almost there."<p>

Natalie awoke with a start, blinking fiercely to clear the sleep from her eyes. She looked around the car, seeing them rolling down her block.

"_Please_ tell me I did not sleep the whole ride home," said Natalie.

"You lasted a solid eight minutes before you passed out."

"Oh dear God, are you serious?"

"You didn't even make it to the highway."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Natalie demanded, her voice almost shrill. She wiped at the side of her mouth, feeling a thin trail of drool.

"If I'd woken you up, I wouldn't've been able to hear your dream conversations."

"My _what?_" Natalie covered her face with her hands and groaned. "One _giant_ Embarrassing Moment."

"Besides, you looked cute sleeping," said James. Natalie felt her throat catch, dropping her hands, looking over at James. He avoided her gaze, pushing open his door. "Come on, I'll walk you inside."

They made the trek up the stairs into her apartment in relative silence, Natalie still rubbing bits of sleep out of her eyes, making sure any traces of drool had been rubbed off her face.

"Well, this is me," said Natalie, stopping in front of a door.

"Three-B?" said James.

"Three-B," Natalie nodded, tugging at the strap of her bag.

James and Natalie both opened their mouths, starting in at the same time. "I had—"

They broke off, chuckling nervously.

"You go," said James. Natalie smiled.

"I had a really great time tonight," said Natalie, once they reached her door. "Thanks for taking me out. I can give you some money for gas, if you want."

"Oh no, don't even worry about that," said James, shaking his head.

"Are you sure? We drove out a long ways."

"Really, it's no trouble," said James. "I'm just glad you had a good time."

Natalie pulled at her sleeves, then looked down, realizing she still had on James' sweatshirt. "Oh, here, I should give you this back—"

"You can keep it," said James.

"Really?" she said, then swallowed. "I mean, you don't—"

"Nat," said James, cutting her off, "you really need to learn how to just accept a gift from someone."

Natalie smiled, looking at her shoes.

"Hey, do you maybe want to go out again sometime?" asked James.

Natalie felt her heart skip. "I'd love to."

"Does next Friday work?" James suggested.

"That'd be great," said Natalie.

"Great!" said James, smiling. "I'll call you later this week, then?"

"Yeah, that's... great," she said, slightly breathless, and they both chuckled.

"Well, uh," James cleared his throat. "Guess I should be going."

Natalie nodded. "Defintely getting late."

"Thanks for coming along," said James. He opened his arms slightly, taking a half-step closer to Natalie, and she closed the gap between them with a hug. She slid her arms up his waist, looping one hand up to grip his shoulder, and he squeezed her gently, resting his cheek against her hair.

"Thanks again," said Natalie, voice muffled slightly in his chest. "For everything tonight."

James pulled away, moving hand to the back of Natalie's head, setting the other on the side of her face. He felt her cheeks heat up as she began to blush and he was sure he was doing the same. He let out a breah then leaned close, pressing their lips together.

The kiss was simple, slow, and sweet; just long enough to make both of their hearts race. James could taste the spicy cinnamon of her gum and a faint trace of the hot chocolate they'd drunk earlier in the night, could feel the smoothness of her lips and how they fit right between his. He couldn't help but notice, as they parted, how he wouldn't mind kissing her again.

James puffed out a breathy laugh as Natalie attempted to catch her breath.

"'Night, Nat," he said quietly, smiling, pushing a bit of hair from her eyes. She reached up, touching the hand he had on her face.

"'Night, James."

* * *

><p>Reviews? Anyone? Anyone? ...Bueller?<p> 


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